Antonio Carluccio

Gorgonzola and the Veined Cheeses

Appears in
An Invitation to Italian Cooking
An Invitation to Italian Cooking

By Antonio Carluccio

Published 1986

  • About

Gorgonzola is made from a base of cows’ milk stracchino with the addition of the harmless fungus Pemcillium glaucum which transforms it into the unique Italian blue cheese. Until the twentieth century, it was known as stracchino verde, but then it took the name of its place of origin, which is near Milan. It is now made all over Italy. It has a 48 per cent fat content and a strong buttery taste and texture. The cheeses are made in large shapes weighing about 4-6kg (9-13½ lb).

There are several variations. Apart from the sweet Gorgonzola, there is a spicier, more mature one. The other erborinati - all the green- or blue-veined cheeses - are castelmagno, made in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont; dolce verde which is sold in tubes; dolcelatte, which is a milder and creamier version of Gorgonzola (which, although famous, does not have an official denomination); and torta di san gaudenzio, made of alternating layers of Gorgonzola and mascarpone.